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Peanut Cracker Jared Mollenkof, a senior at Covenant College, joined eight of his friends in purchasing, raising,

slaughtering and roasting a pig. “I think it’s kind of sad how much of a disconnect there is between our food and the

process,” said Mr. Mollenkof said, who was raised with few of the luxuries enjoyed by other American children his age. With

his parents, who are missionaries, Mr. Mollenkof lived in Kenya for five years and then in South Africa for four years. While

living abroad, Mr. Mollenkof was unable to take creature comforts, such as warm water and electricity, for granted. “We had

running water in the missionary compound,” said Mr. Mollenkof, but warm water depended on how hot it was outside. Also,

electricity was limited to one hour a day. Mr. Mollenkof returned home at 17 years old and started studying history at

Covenant College. He soon realized how much everyone, including himself, took the food they ate everyday for granted. “It’s

so easy to go to the grocery store and pick up a roast,” Mr. Mollenkof said. “I don’t have to appreciate how it got there.

” Together with his friends, Mr. Mollenkof decided to learn firsthand what it takes to raise an animal for food. The

students bought the 5-week-old pig and raised it in a neighbor’s chicken pen. Mr. Mollenkof fed the pig farm feed, scraps

from the cafeteria and stale bread donated from Niedlov’s Breadworks. Taking care of the pigs proved to be a time consuming

and expensive task. Mr. Mollenkof would be called out of class and forced to hunt down his pig that liked to escape from its

pen. “It is good for me to think that everything I eat someone has put this much effort into,” Mr. Mollenkof said. On

slaughtering day, Mr. Mollenkof said emotions were high, but that he felt he was doing the right thing. “It’s good to

recognize the fact that for you to live something else has to die,” said Mr. Mollenkof, who held a pig roast that fed 200 of

his fellow Covenant students and neighbors. “I think when you keep that in mind it helps you to live with more focus.” Mr.

Mollenkof’s experiences with his pig will be a reminder for the rest of his life that food is neither an endless nor an

effortless resource.